Because of their corrosive nature, organosulfonyl halides, as exemplified by alkane sulfonyl chlorides, easily become contaminated with metal salts and other metal compounds during preparation, handling and storage. Metal contamination, by discoloring the product and possibly catalyzing unwanted side reactions, such as hydrolysis, makes the product unsuitable for many industrial applications.
The literature describes the use of activated carbon for removing trace metals from waste water.sup.1, but the metal is first chelated by a chelating agent such as 8-hydroxyquinoline and the chelate, in turn, is absorbed by the carbon. The prior art also discloses removal of organically combined metals from heavy gas oil feed stocks.sup.2 at high temperature (300.degree.-750.degree. F.) by activated carbon. Further, the art shows the use of certain acidic organic compounds, such as phthalic acids for removing metal compounds, such as iron compounds, from activated carbon..sup.3 FNT .sup.1 Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 49, 311 (1977) FNT .sup.2 U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,369 (1959) FNT .sup.3 U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,485 (1965)